Ladakh Range Hotels

Oriental Guesthouse, Leh

I didn’t have a booking when I arrived to Oriental Guesthouse, but I was lucky to get a room in A Block. The rooms in A Block are the cheapest ones and I paid Rs 200 (July 2010) per night for the room with shared bathroom. My room was on the third floor with stunning views of the valley and mountains beyond. In the room there was a big bed with thick blankets, two plastic chairs, two tables and a shelf. There are several shared bathrooms, so there was never a queue. On the second floor there is also a traditional Ladakhi toilet. After checking in I got a towel, toilet paper and when I asked for it a few days later I got a top sheet. The rooms in Block A could not be booked in advance. I was very happy with the room and stayed there for 8 nights.

At Oriental Guesthouse there are three buildings with rooms in three different categories. I wanted to book a room in B Block for the days after my trek, but the rooms (which have private bathroom and cost Rs 450 in July 2010) were fully booked until the end of August.

As I wanted to have a place to stay when I returned from my trek, and also wanted to stay at Oriental Guesthouse I booked a room in C Block for my return. There the room was Rs 1000. If there was a room available in A Block I was going to change, but after staying one night in my room in C Block I didn’t want to change. The room was on the forth floor and had stunning views, two bedside tables, two wooden chairs and a small table in front of the window, cupboards and a comfortable bed. And it was convenient with the bathroom and shower.

Oriental Guesthouse is run by a Ladaki family who have run a guesthouse in their home since 1987. By the reception there is a library, TV-room and computers to use (when there is electricity). There is also a laundry service. I left most of my clothes for laundry, but washed a few things myself in a bucket by the running water behind the house.

The garden is lovely with roses and vegetables. There are two sitting areas outside, one by the reception and one on the lawn outside the restaurant. In the restaurant the food is prepared fresh every day and vegetables from the garden is often used.

While in Leh I ate most of my breakfasts and dinners at Oriental Guesthouse. If it was warm I sat by a table in the garden, otherwise indoors, and indoors I preferred the low tables with sofas over the tables and chairs.
For breakfast you can choose between several different set breakfasts for Rs 80 (July 2010). You can have porridge with banana, Ladakhi bread, toast, egg, salad and French fries and more. Coffee or tea is included in the breakfast.
For dinner there is a buffet with soup and several other dishes to choose from, for example daal, spring rolls, rice and pasta. Sometimes there is also a desert. You can eat as much as you want to for Rs 85. The only bad thing is that it doesn’t start until eight o’clock in the evening, and I prefer to eat earlier.
Between the meals I often had coffee or tea. A coffee was Rs 12 , mint tea Rs 10 and ginger, honey and lemon tea Rs 20. There is always filtered water available for free so that you can fill your water bottle with drinking water.

You pay for what you eat and drink when you check out. You must yourself keep track on what you eat and drink so when you check in you get a list to fill in when you order something.
There is a tip box in the restaurant so that you can give tip to the cheerful men working in the kitchen.

• Opinion of Price: N/A
• Related to: Budget Travel, Backpacking
• Written December 18, 2010

View from my first room

4 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

Snow Leopard Guesthouse, Hunder, Nubra Valley

We were two people sharing a jeep on a two-day tour to Nubra Valley. Arriving to the village Hunder in the afternoon we had no idea of where to stay, but asked our driver to recommend a place. He took us to Snow Leopard Guesthouse, which turned out to be a lovely place. The rooms at Snow Leopard Guest House are situated in a three different houses surrounded by a lovely garden with flowers and fruit trees. And in the background are the mountains.

When we arrived there were only two rooms left, one for Rs 500 and one for Rs 700 (July 2010). I got the room for Rs 700 and it was in the same building as the restaurant. The room had a big double bed with a thick cover and reading lights above the bed, cupboards, a big window and a bathroom with hot water.

Dinner is served at eight in the evening and the buffet was Rs 150. We put two tables together and ate with some other people staying at the guesthouse. I cant remember when breakfast was served in the morning but I woke up early and sat in the garden reading while waiting. Even if breakfast was not ready I got coffee to drink and with the beautiful surroundings and early hour it tasted extra good.

• Opinion of Price: N/A
• Related to: Budget Travel, Backpacking
• Written November 27, 2010

Snow Leopard Guesthouse

1 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

One of the best hotel: Spic N Span

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
• Related to: Photography, Adventure Travel
• Written August 24, 2006

View from hotel

---

Was this review helpful?

the best accomodation I've ever had

While trekking in Ladakh, you stay in the best hotels ever..... million star hotels:-))
The starry sky in the Himalaya looks so incredible that it's impossible to take your eyes off it.............. .

Hotel Chon Jor: Bang in the middle of Leh

We had arrived in Leh very late and through one of the agents found this hotel. Actually, it is a guesthouse converted into a hotel. It has about 7-8 rooms with double beds and attached toilets. We used to get hot water till about noon everyday.
Since we were dog tired when we arrived in Leh, we had planned to stay just overnight and then look for another place the next day.
But overall we found it to be a decent place with reasonably clean room. So we stuck to it for three nights.
I guess one can find better places than this but it was value for money as who stays in hotel other than dropping in to sleep.

It is not in the noisy market place but closeby.
There are few STD/ISD booths nearby so one can hop into them anytime.
Its about 5-7 minutes walk from the city centre.
The hotel can arrange for your jeep tours to nearby locations.
It is owned by a local but in the reception you can find people from other places in India and so can talk in Hindi quite easily.
It has a couple of male masseurs(who speak English) staying at the place who frequent other hotels also so you can get a bargain...
It is located on the street with quite a few guest houses and hotels, so you can check out the next day easily incase you don't like it.

Hotel Lasermo: Hotel options in Leh city with approximate costs

Excellent accommodation with cool decor. Exotic oriental food and ever smiling family which maintains the place is an incentive. Highly accommodative, the hotel is open even during winters.

Special attention by family.

Home stays

With the help of the tourist office and local residents, you can get to stay in farmers' homes in villages in and near Leh. I stayed for nearly four months in the Sangkhar Village north of Leh, and it was one of my greatest experiences ever. Houses in Ladakh are fairly big in order o accomodate visitors and extended family, so chances are you will get your own little separate room or even annex building.

Integration into family life,
or at least a glimpse of family life and farming.

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Related to: Arts and Culture, Farm Stay, Budget Travel
• Written May 7, 2004

Upper Sagkar, "my" house in the lower right centre

---

Was this review helpful?

oriental guesthouse: Leh's guest house

Fantastic family welcoming all tourist very kindly. If you wish so, you can learn all about the local way of life, get cooking course, etc...
A little bit outside of town, but the walk is very nice

Some rooms have a great view on teh mountain, and one is fully painted with Tibetan 'frescoes'
200-450 Rs a night

Hotel Mandala: Leh: Hotel Mandala

Hotel is a nice hotel far from the noisy and polluted generators of Leh town. It's a large pleasant and clean-ish hotel, with a decent restaurant and nice helpful staff

Nice bedrooms and great views from the windows. There's also hot water at certain times of the day.. quite a luxury!!!

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
• Written August 24, 2003

our bedroom at Mandala

---

Was this review helpful?